


Hangman's Game

by bessemerprocess



Series: War Correspondents [2]
Category: Countdown RPF, Pundit & Broadcast Journalist RPF (US), Real News RPF, The Rachel Maddow Show RPF
Genre: Gen, Remixed, War Correspondents Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-25
Updated: 2009-06-25
Packaged: 2017-10-02 18:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessemerprocess/pseuds/bessemerprocess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keith Olbermann has known Rachel Maddow long enough to known that mere rebel forces will not get her to leave this bar. She might leave if they run out of booze, or if a beautiful woman offers to take her back to her room, but gun fire will never do the trick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hangman's Game

Keith Olbermann has known Rachel Maddow long enough to known that mere rebel forces will not get her to leave this bar. She might leave if they run out of booze, or if a beautiful woman offers to take her back to her room, but gun fire will never do the trick. He's wearing a flak jacket; she's not. He's considering whether it might be better to start drinking hunkered down behind the bar; she's trying to get the bartender to mix her drink just the way she likes.

They're the only people holding up the bar now, and the bartender looks like he'd like to leave, too. Keith can't blame the man, the army is crashing with rebels two, maybe three blocks away, and neither side is too careful with stray bullets. Rachel, however, is going to keep the poor guy here until he manages to pour her perfect drink.

Both he and Rachel have already uploaded their stories for the day. Rebels encroach on capital. There's not much else for war correspondents to do here. Write stories, tell stories, drink. Right now, they are definitely in the drinking phase. Rachel's producer had tried to force her to leave the country this morning. Words like 'too dangerous' and 'cut off from help' had been yelled loudly enough that Keith could hear them on the other side of the table. Nobody wants to pull Keith out, but then, he's not anyone's star reporter.

Rachel, of course, never thinks it's about the money. "What they meant to say was, 'too dangerous for a woman.' Charlie thinks I'm going to end up dead on the streets somewhere. Shot in the head as an example to all Western journalists."

Keith privately thinks Charlie is probably right. It's either that or cirrhosis. Rachel takes risks like she breathes, easily and without thought. She's been shot four times in the course of her career. He's only been shot once, and he's been at this for almost fifteen more years than she has. He's getting too old to do the crazy shit Rachel drags then into.

A bullet sings through the oak door of the bar, sending splinters flying.

"I think that's last call," Keith says, as the bartender runs out the back.

"Fine," Rachel replies, but grabs a bottle of scotch and leaves two American twenties behind, before following Keith out the back.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Russian Roulette: The Thought of War Blows My Mind Mash-Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/183616) by [twtd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/pseuds/twtd)




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